THE group reviving Richmond's old station building has set a deadline for businesses bidding for space inside the building.

The Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust won approval from the district council to run the old terminal as a community asset at the end of last month.

Residents of the market town, who have invested time and pledged money to cover the costs of the project, will receive a newsletter next week outlining progress so far this year.

However, companies and individuals from the area who have indicated they would be interested in space inside the old station will be visited within the next fortnight as the trust seeks to firm up the commitment of potential tenants.

At the same time, national organisations have been given until Tuesday, October 14, to confirm whether or not they would like to move in.

"We are delighted the council has shown such confidence in the trust," said spokesman Jim Jack.

"The letter from Richmondshire District Council confirming an intention to sell the station to the trust, given a number of understandable conditions, means we are now in a position to work on finalising the design and starting to bid for the funds we need."

Meetings will now be arranged with interested parties to explore each proposal in detail, which may mean more than two viable schemes already in existence will be assessed.

Proposals so far include a cinema, restaurant, caf bar, creche, workshop units and a cheese-making plant and visitor viewing gallery.

However, the outcome of consultation over the next few weeks will determine the ultimate design of the revitalised building.

"This intermediate step is a short but essential one to ensure that, at the time the decision is made, we will be setting a brief which will give the maximum gain for our community" said Mr Jack.

The trust aims to have a clear brief for architects and grant-aiding bodies by the end of November.